Resources regarding Separation Protocol

Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation

Statement January 4, 2020

The last few days there has been much in the news concerning a possible resolution to the deep divide in the United Methodist Church. We encourage you to read the document, Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation and its accompanying FAQ which are posted on www.westohioumc.org.

This Protocol is encouraging in that it should save us from more acrimony. It is an agreement reached by persons whose positions have been incompatible; that too is encouraging. It is not a done deal. It is a proposal which needs to be approved at the May general conference. It needs to be reviewed as to its UM constitutionality. There are also exclusionary Disciplinary statements that must be addressed, but there are pathways for addressing them. There is much work to be done and much to clarify, but we are more hopeful than we have been since last February.

Please note that this Protocol, and other plans and pathways will be addressed by our ACTS committee on Sunday, January 26 at 10am in the chapel.

– John Keeny and Colleen Ogle

Statement from Bishop Palmer

Bishop Palmer's full statement can be found here; below is an excerpt from the Bishop’s letter:

“Some of you may be wondering how this may impact you. I offer this: keep loving and serving Jesus. Keep loving and serving your neighbor. Keep loving and serving your church and community. There is no immediate impact. This proposal is currently in a narrative format and legislation is being developed. Only the 2020 General Conference can take decisive action. The General Conference will take place on May 5 – 15 in Minneapolis. If this approach is adopted, it will provide a clear, level field for conferences and local churches to make decisions if they feel they need to make one. It is crucial to understand that no entity is required to vote to stay or go unless they want to do so.”

Additional Resources Regarding Separation Protocol

• FAQ about the Protocol Mediation Team can be found here.
• 2020 General Conference Overview can be found here
• All of the proposed plans can be found here
• West Ohio 2020 General Conference delegates can be found here
• Council of Bishops Press Release – United Methodists Traditionalists, Centrists, Progressives, and Bishops Sign Agreement Aimed at Separation
• United Methodist News – Diverse Leaders' Group Offers Separation Plan
• Mainstream UMC – Great News! Negotiations Reach Compromise!
• Uniting Methodists – Grace to be the Church We Are Becoming
• Methodists for Social Action – Message to John Keeny

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